


to provide for the needs of

by princesswanderinginthewoods



Category: PRISTIN (Band)
Genre: F/F, Light Angst, hmm I guess there are just a lot of unrequited but undiscussed feelings here, i guess?, just wanted a smidgen of character exploration while I think about sungyeon, this is v short but I just wanted to get something out, when I say lowkey.. I mean very lowkey but I'm trying, while I ponder the 99 line fic I've lowkey been working on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 13:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13548294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princesswanderinginthewoods/pseuds/princesswanderinginthewoods
Summary: the quiet reflections of a sub-leader





	to provide for the needs of

Nayoung was the epitome of a leader in Minkyung’s eyes. Quiet but demanding power, respected and admired and loved by all of her dongsaengs. She could remain calm and focused when the younger and energetic members got off task, bring the group’s energy together so they could form their in-sync and cohesive group despite the abundance of different larger-than-life personalities.

Minkyung felt like she wasn’t the role model that Nayoung was. She often could be mischievous and playful, particularly with Kyungwon, and while she was often the one best at cleaning and cooking, and praised by others for being witty, she believed she lacked the maturity and wisdom and connectedness that Nayoung had about her. She lacked the traits she admired so much in her friend.

She remembers the IOI days, when her position as the group’s sub-leader became necessary, someone to help shoulder the responsibilities, to tend to the others when their eldest was away. How she suddenly had seven others to constantly look after, but no one to look after her. The noise of the whistling void she had left seemed to be louder than her hushed presence, flitting around diligently to make sure everything was as it should be.

She sent Nayoung frequent updates, frequent questions and pleas for advice. She knew Nayoung had ten to look after, and the busier schedule, but she couldn’t fathom how to make it work without her. She needed her unnie when everyone else needed her. Who was there to take care of the eldest, of the leader? How could you live like that, lonely but working hard to make sure all of your dongsaengs were happy and close and warm?

 

 

Minkyung looks down at the phone in her hands, gazing at the soft pixels until her sight starts to blur. She can barely make out their pretty sunbaenim in the foreground now, the mature look of a leader blended with a soft joy that she feels she understands, when she’s able to find those moments. It reminds her of laying her head on her unnie’s shoulder, that carefully hidden smile she considers herself lucky to see, a quietly thoughtful comment when she passes her by.

In the background of the photo, she sees her, smile still small but seemingly less guarded, her aura softening in the presence of a girl who is just a handful of days older than her, but a leader for longer. She looks like someone who could take care of her, someone wise and experienced and gentle, complementary birds of a feather.

Minkyung feels the air in her chest slowly released out of her barely parted lips and realizes she must have been holding her breath without knowing. The air catches on the way up her windpipe, snagging on something towards the top of her ribcage and the middle of her throat. She feels the coolness linger in the air around her, gentle and muted, before it fades away, placidly withdrawing from her.

Some time later, she feels a steady pressure against the side of her back, warmth curling around her insistently. Looking down, she meets the eyes of her shortest dongsaeng, her cooly distinct features drawn into a playful pout. Her eyes belie her face, however, depths that go on and on, a heaviness she can feel herself slipping into naturally, as tired as she now is from gazing this long at the artificial light and the genuine tenderness.

Minkyung is grateful she understands she doesn’t want to talk right now, and when she turns to look back at her phone screen once again, she hardly notices the way the arms around her curl into themselves more, the shaky inhale, and the tiny spot of wetness that spreads along her sweatshirt, just above her shoulder blade.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that was my first fic on ao3 I suppose. Maybe I'll edit this in the future, it's a little underdeveloped, and I'm not sure about how I feel about it starting more explicit and ending much much more implicitly. Does that clash too much?
> 
> Anyways, the purpose of this was just to get my feet wet and my brain going again before I really try to work on the sungyewon writings I've got going on... I sort of have flashes but nothing cohesive yet.


End file.
